Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
My phone pings again, and I get distracted by the sound, knowing it’s a message from Christian. Damn, is that man insistent.
Christian: You better think twice before you ignore me. I already told you not to tempt me.
Christian: Give me your address. I’ll be there in five minutes, and I’ll show you what happens when you play with fire. *wink face*
I can’t help but giggle a little from that last message. Out of nowhere, Kyla swipes the phone from my hands. For a brief second, panic floods my veins, but I realize I have nothing to hide. She looks at the screen and grins.
“Who is this message from?” She tilts her head to the side, examining the screen further. “Christian? The guy from the bar? He’s the one who’s got you smiling?”
“Yes, he’s the one who’s got me smiling,” I confess and swipe my phone back from her hands.
She takes a step back from the counter and places her hands on her hips. “I feel like you might be holding out on me. I didn’t know you guys exchanged numbers? How long have you been talking, and better yet…” She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “What have you been talking about?”
I snicker. “That’s for me to know and you to never find out.”
“Oh, my God.”
“What?” I ask, concerned by the seriousness in her voice. We were just joking and laughing, and now she’s suddenly serious. Did I miss something?
A slow grin appears on her lips. “You like him, don’t you?”
My face becomes a raging ball of fire. “No… I mean…” Dammit. Denying it isn’t going to make things better. Kyla will push and dig until she gets the answer she wants.
Her grin becomes even bigger if that’s even possible. Fuck, I can’t lie, not when my face is already telling the truth.
“Fine, yes, I like him.”
“I knew it!” she yells. “I knew you liked him. I can tell, and just so you know, I’m happy for you, and no matter what you do, I’ll be here for you.”
The meaning behind her words sends me crashing back into reality. I still have unfinished business with Taj. I shouldn’t be getting close to Christian, but like a moth drawn to a flame, I can’t help myself. The temptation is too great. He makes me feel things I’ve never felt.
As if she can sense the joy leaving me, Kyla interjects. “Don’t feel bad for talking to another guy. You aren’t doing anything wrong, Siân.”
I nod in agreement, even if it doesn’t feel that way to me.
“I’m going to go take a real quick shower, and then maybe we can grab some lunch together or something,” she adds.
“Yeah, that would be great. I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve had a girls’ day.”
“Gah, I know. Adult life, school, and boyfriend drama are ruining everything.”
We break out into laughter, and Kyla exits the kitchen to take a shower. I pick up my phone and start to text Christian back, telling him he’ll never be able to show me what happens when I play with fire when Kyla comes storming back into the kitchen, wearing a scowl on her face.
“Did you move the pictures in the foyer?” It’s a random question, but the way Kyla’s looking at me tells me she’s asking a serious question.
“No, why would I?”
“I don’t know, but the pictures are moved.”
I shake my head. “Are you sure?”
Creases of frustration form on Kyla’s forehead, and I can tell she’s getting mad. “Yes, I’m sure. You know how anal I am about things being in their place. If you didn’t move it and I didn’t move it, then why is it moved?”
Her voice grows louder as she speaks, and I have to stop from rolling my eyes. Kyla can be, well, a little over the top sometimes.
“Look, maybe one of us bumped the table. It’s not a big deal.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure that’s what moved the pictures, but I guess we’ll go with it, since there isn’t any other explanation.” She turns and walks out of the kitchen before I can muster up a response to her outburst.
I’m still reeling from her verbal whiplash when she returns to the kitchen, a crinkled piece of white paper in her hand.
“What the hell is this?” she asks, shoving it at me.
I grab the piece of paper from her hand, bewildered by her attitude. “What the hell is going on with you?” I ask a moment before looking at it.
As soon as I see the words on it, my heart sinks into my stomach.
Sei Mio is scribbled in black ink on the paper, and my hands tremble while I stare at the words, reading them back to myself. You’re mine.
Panic bubbles to the surface like a pan of water boiling over.
It wasn’t me being paranoid the other night. I was really being watched. Oh, God.